The present invention relates to a crimping tool for providing a metal crimp seal on plastic strapping. More particularly, the present invention relates to a side action crimping tool for sealing a metal crimp seal to plastic strapping that reduces the opportunity for damage to the plastic strap material.
Strapping material is used in wide variety of applications to secure or bundle loads. The strap material is typically metal or plastic and can be applied to the load using either a manual sealer or a powered sealer. Powered sealers can be pneumatic or electric and can be hand-held or machine-frame type machines. Non-powered (manual) sealers are typically hand-held or hand-operated tools.
The seals (for both metal and plastic strap) can be of the seal-less type or of the crimp seal type. In a seal-less seal or joint, the material is welded to itself (if plastic) or mechanically joined as by locking cuts and projections. Crimp seals, on the other hand, use a band that is bent or wrapped around overlapping portions of strap and mechanically crimped onto the strap. In such a joint, the seal is compressed onto the strap material and the strap material is deformed so as to be secured in the seal. Generally, the inside of the seal is coated with grit to increase the friction between the seal and the strap.
In many such seals, the seal is cut, at least in part and is urged into the material to create an interference type of fit. In this manner, portions of the strap and portions of the seal are forced from their respective bodies, into the other material. That is, the strap and seal are cut and bent into each other so that the materials are not only held by compression, but also by interference of the crimp seal with the strap “pulling” from the seal. While such an arrangement is acceptable for metal strapping material it is unacceptable for plastic strap in that the integrity of the plastic strap can be compromised by cutting the strap material.
To this end, crimp seal arrangements have been attempted with plastic strap without success. It has been found that without the cutting and attendant interferences created by the joint, the plastic strap simply pulls from the crimp seal. On the other hand, experience with the cutting and interference type of joint shows that the potential for strap material failure is too high.
Accordingly, there is a need for a manual crimp seal tool for use with plastic strap material. Desirably, such a tool is used to provide a high reliability crimp seal type of seal on overlapping plastic strap. Most desirably, such a tool provides the crimp seal without damage to the underlying strap material.